<&U4. 


M^^Ak 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  agricultural  Experiment  Station 

COLLEGE  OF  AGRICULTURE  E.  J.  WICKSON,   Director 

BERKELEY,  CALIFORNIA 

yWVHWTY  9F  CAUFMNU 
LII1ARY 
mMCH  Of  THE 
(Feb.  1912)  CGLLE&E  Of  A6R1CULTUKS 


CIRCULAR  No.  74 


COPY  3 


RICE 


A  Possible  New  Industry  for  California 

By  G.  W.  SHAW  and  A.  J.  GAUMNITZ. 

RICE. 


A  POSSIBLE  NEW  INDUSTRY  EOR  CALIFORNIA. 

Note. — The  reported  success  of  a  number  of  private  land  owners  in  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley,  in  the  growing  of  rice,  and  of  certain  experiments  being  conducted  by 
the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  has  given  rise  to  numerous  inquiries  as  to 
the  possibility  of  developing  this  industry. 

That  such  inquiries  might  be  understandings  answered,  and  with  a  view  of  de- 
termining the  advisability  of  establishing  some  systematic  work  under  the  direction 
of  the  station  officers,  a  careful  study  of  the  results  already  secured,  and  other  mat- 
ters of  interest  connected  with  rice  culture  were  made  during  the  past  year,  and  the 
results  of  this  inquiry  are  set  forth  below.  For  the  results  of  experiments  we  are 
indebted  especially  to  Mr.  Wm.  Grant  of  Vacaville,  also  to  Mr.  A.  Balfour,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Mr.  C.  N.  Hawkins,  Hollister,  and  Mr.  R.  R.  Smith  of  Stockton. 

There  are  three  very  important  cereal  crops  which  furnish  food  for 
the  human  race,  viz.,  wheat,  rice,  and  corn.  Rice  serves  as  the  prin- 
cipal food  for  a  larger  number  of  people  than  any  other  crop.  Of 
the  cereals  mentioned,  California  grows  most  largely  wheat,  with  a 
relatively  small  corn  production. 

The  per  capita  consumption  of  rice  has  been  steadily  increasing  in 
this  country.  For  the  five  years  from  1821  to  1825  each  person  con- 
sumed a  little  over  one  half  pound  per  year.  Twenty-five  years  later 
a  similar  five-year  average  shows  that  two  and  one  half  pounds  were 
consumed  per  person.  For  the  five  years,  1871  to  1875,  the  per  capita 
consumption  was  two  and  three  fourths  pounds;  for  the  five  years, 
1896-1900,  the  consumption  was  over  four  pounds,  and  in  the  next 
five  years  had  risen  to  nearly  six  pounds. 

In  1909  the  total  production  of  rice  in  the  nine  commercially  pro- 
ducing states  of  this  country  was  equivalent  to  approximately  668,901 


—  2  — 

pounds  of  cleaned  rice.  To  supply  the  needs  of  the  country  there 
was  required  from  foreign  countries  approximately  37,000,000  pounds. 
From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  there  is  no  immediate  danger  of 
overproduction. 

Duty  on  Bice. — The  present  tariff  act  places  the  following  rates  of 
duty  upon  rice  and  rice  products  imported  into  the  United  States : 
"Rice,  cleaned,  two  cents  per  pound;  uncleaned  rice,  or  rice  free  of 
the  outer  hull  and  still  having  the  inner  cuticle  on,  one  and  one  fourth 
cents  per  pound;  rice  flour  and  rice  meal,  and  rice  broken,  which  will 
pass  through  a  number  twelve  wire  sieve  of  a  kind  prescribed  by  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  one  fourth  of  one  cent  per  pound;  paddy, 
or  rice  having  the  outer  hull  on,  three  fourths  of  one  per  cent  per 
pound." 

HISTORICAL. 

Rice  was  introduced  into  the  United  States  near  the  close  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  for  about  two  hundred  years  has  been  grown 
along  the  South  Atlantic  coast. 

The  industry  developed  very  slowly  until  about  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War,  when  the  Mississippi  delta  states  began  producing  it.  Since 
then  the  production  has  gradually  increased  and  the  area  has  extended 
up  the  Mississippi  Valley,  along  the  Gulf  coast  into  Texas,  and  finally 
into  Arkansas. 

As  early  as  1894  the  California  Experiment  Station  undertook 
supervision  of  some  experiments  with  Honduras  rice  on  the  peat  lands 
of  Union  Island.  The  plants  made  a  very  rank  growth,  but  did  not 
head.  While  this  failure  of  the  rice  to  mature  was  not  regarded  by 
Professor  Wickson,  who  had  the  experiment  in  charge,  as  indicating 
more  than  that  particular  planting  had  been  made  too  late,  or  that 
the  right  variety  for  that  type  of  soil  had  not  been  selected,  the  ex- 
periments by  the  Station  were  discontinued,  as  other  local  work  to 
which  they  were  only  incidental  was  concluded. 

THE  PLANT. 

Rice  is  an  annual  plant,  and  belongs  to  the  great  family  of  grasses, 
as  do  all  cereals.  It  is  known  botanically  as  Oryza  sativa  oengalensis. 
It  requires  a  much  warmer  climate  and  a  larger  quantity  of  water 
than  other  cereals.  The  amount  of  water  throughout  the  Southern 
States  has  been  estimated  at  about  four  feet  per  acre,  but  this  is 
more  or  less  dependent  upon  both  climatic  and  soil  factors. 

The  rice  plant  is  very  much  like  a  wheat  or  oat  plant  in  its  early 
growth.  It  has,  however,  thicker  foliage,  which  is  much  stiffer  than 
that  of  an  ordinary  cereal.  It  grows  a  panicle  much  like  that  of  oats ; 
it  has,  however,  a  very  distinct  and  uniform  habit  of  stooling,  and 


—  3  — 

soon  comes  to  look  very  much  like  a  reed  at  the  crown.  After  the 
first  seven  stools  or  culms  are  started,  the  symmetrical  development 
is  not  so  readily  observed,  varying  with  the  variety  and  the  condition 
of  growth.  The  culm-bearing  panicles  may  vary  all  the  way  from  three 
or  four  to  sixty  or  seventy. 

The  rice  seed  has  very  distinctive  kernels.  It  is  usually  flattened  with 
two  grooves  running  the  length  of  the  kernel  on  each  side.  The  ker- 
nels are  about  two  fifths  as  wide  as  long  in  the  shorter  types,  and 
perhaps  one  quarter  as  wide  as  long  in  the  longer  types. 

There  are  five  species  of  rice  described  by  botanists,  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  these  should  be  considered  as  more  than  varieties:  0.  sativa, 
common  rice;  0.  mutica,  dry  or  mountain  rice;  0.  praecox,  early  rice; 
0.  glutinosa,  clammy  rice,  and  0.  ruftpogon,  red  rice. 

A  great  many  varieties  of  rice  are  known,  161  being  described  in 
Ceylon  alone,  while  in  Japan,  China  and  India,  where  much  attention 
is  given  to  seed  selection,  some  1,500  varieties  are  said  to  be  recog- 
nized. This  necessarily  follows  from  the  conditions  of  selection  and 
growth  in  older  countries  where  every  district  grows  continuously 
the  same  strain,  saving  their  own  seed  for  replanting,  so  that  ulti- 
mately these  varieties  become  especially  adapted  to  that  locality,  and  the 
type  usually  differs  somewhat  from  that  grown  on  an  adjacent  planta- 
tion. 

For  practical  purposes,  however,  there  are  but  two  general  types 
of  rice,  viz.,  Honduras  and  Japanese.  The  Carolina  Gold  and  Caro- 
lina "White  are  also  commercial  classifications,  but  these  are  of  the 
general  Honduras  type. 


Fig.   1. — a  Honduras  type  ;  b  Japanese  type. 


The  flat,  short  rices  are  called  Japanese,  or  Chinese  type,  and  the 
longer  kernels  are  called  the  Honduras  or  Italian  type.  These  are 
only  general  considerations,  however,  and  do  not  apply  strictly. 

Dr.  S.  A.  Knapp  contrasts  these  two  types  as  follows:     "The  Japan 


has  a  short,  thick  kernel,  a  thick  hull  and  heavy  grain.  It  is  not  so 
tall  as  the  Honduras  and  the  straw  is  smaller  and  greener  when  the 
grain  is  ripe.  The  percentage  of  bran  in  the  Japan  is  small.  Since 
the  grains  do  not  break  so  badly  it  will  yield  more  head  rice  (high 
grade,  unbroken  kernels)  than  the  Honduras.  The  Honduras  has 
a  large  grain,  a  tall  stiff  straw  and  is  not  so  easily  blown  down." 

While  these  are  the  two  general  types  of  rice,  there  are  a  great  many 
other  distinguishing  characteristics,  so  that  there  is  nearly  as  large  a 
number  of  varieties  and  types  as  there  are  of  wheat. 


HELD  CULTURE  OF  RICE. 

Soils. — Various  types  of  soils  seem  to  be  adapted  to  rice  growing 
in  different  sections.  Perhaps  the  most  extensive  are  of  the  heavier 
types.  It  is  believed  the  vast  areas  of  overflow  and  adobe  soils  along  the 
Sacramento  River  and  along  the  San  Joaquin,  except  the  distinctly 
peat  lands,  are  well  adapted  to  growing  rice.  Of  the  adobe  type  in  the 
Sacramento  valley,  in  Butte  and  Sutter  counties  alone  there  are  in 
excess  of  150,000  acres,  all  of  which  might  be  developed  for  rice.  The 
question  of  leveling,  the  possibility  of  securing  water  for  irrigation  pur- 
poses cheaply,  and  the  temperature,  seem  to  be  the  factors  that  will 
finallly  determine  whether  rice  can  be  grown  or  not  in  this  State.  Most 
of  this  land  is  nearly  level,  so  that  the  preparation  of  the  land  for  irri- 
gation is  not  difficult  to  secure.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  an  expenditure 
of  $15.00  per  acre  will  put  most  of  this  land  into  shape  for  handling 
the  water.  Throughout  this  flood  land,  the  water  table  is  seldom  below 
twenty  feet,  and  so  even  if  the  water  were  supplied  to  the  land  from 
pumps,  it  could  be  much  more  cheaply  done  in  this  State  than  in 
sections  of  the  Gulf  States  where  water  is  sometimes  raised  as  high 
as  fifty  feet  or  more  for  irrigation.  Some  of  this  land  is  also  below 
the  bed  of  the  rivers,  so  that  water  could  be  supplied  by  gravity  from 
the  river  levees  after  the  ditch  had  been  established.  There  are  also 
areas  where  it  is  necessary  to  pump  the  water  off  the  land  in  order  that 
the  seed  may  be  sown.  It  seems  that  from  among  these  various  condi- 
tions the  best  moisture  conditions  could  be  secured  in  areas  sufficiently 
large  to  produce  as  much  rice  as  is  grown  in  any  of  the  states. 

In  general,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  best  type  of  soil  for  rice  is 
a  medium  loam,  containing  about  50  per  cent  of  clay  and  underlaid  by 
a  hardpan  or  clay  layer  which  will  retain  water.  Such  a  soil  should 
carry  a  sufficient  humus  content  for  the  highest  fertility  without 
seriously  decreasing  the  compact  nature  of  the  soil. 

It  is  believed  that  in  addition  to  the  adobe  lands  to  which  irrigation 
water  can  be  supplied,  almost  any  of  the  delta  lands  sufficiently  re- 


mote  from  the  sea  to  be  free  from  salt  water,  and  selected  with  refer- 
ence to  the  possibility  of  flooding  and  removing  the  water  quickly 
after  the  irrigating  season  is  over,  may  prove  suitable  for  rice  sulturjs. 
These  lands,  however,  should  not  be  of  the  peat  land  type. 


The  greatest  difficulty  in  growing  rice  in  this  State  will  probably 
be  encountered  in  the  atmospheric  conditions,  but  since  these  are 
varied,  there  still  should  be  large  areas  which  can  be  profitably  put 
to  rice.      It  is  possible  to  secure  extensive  locations  in  which  the  tern- 


—  6  — 

perature  is  sufficiently  warm  twenty  four  hours  in  the  day  so  that 
rice  will  grow  from  120  to  180  days.  This  is  as  long  as  an  average 
crop  requires.  Some  varieties  mature  well  in  120  days  or  even  less, 
while  some  require  a  longer  time  than  this.  A  selection  of  the  proper 
varieties  would  easily  insure  the  maturity  of  the  crop,  and  especially 
if  careful  attention  is  given  to  the  selection  and  preparation  of  the 
land,  the  time  of  seeding  and  the  control  of  the  water. 

Leveling  and  Checking. — The  leveling  of  the  rice  fields  is  perhaps 
the  most  important  consideration  prior  to  sowing  the  seed.  This  is 
true  because  the  crop  is  to  stand  in  water  for  about  110  or  140  days, 
and  the  depth  of  the  water  must  be  controlled.  The  leveling  and 
checking  can  not  be  done  as  in  preparing  for  alfalfa  or  other  irrigated 
crops,  because  it  is  essential  that  the  water  stand  on  the  field  at  a 
uniform  depth  throughout,  therefore  greater  care  is  necessary  in  the 
leveling  of  the  land.  "While  it  is  said  that  the  rice  field  must  have 
drainage,  this  does  not  mean  that  there  is  to  be  a  continual  stream  of 
water  running  from  the  field.  It  simply  means  that  it  must  be  pos- 
sible to  remove  the  water  from  the  field  quickly  when  the  proper  time 
comes,  and  in  order  to  do  this,  of  course  it  will  be  necessary  to  make 
the  checks  relatively  small,  with  an  inlet  from  the  ditch,  and  an  outlet 
into  the  drainage  ditch  from  each  check.  It  is  particularly  essential 
that  both  should  be  provided  if  different  varieties  are  grown  in  dif- 
ferent checks.  Where,  however,  one  variety  is  sown  throughout,  the 
surplus  water  from  one  check  may  be  allowed  to  run  into  the  next 
check  and  into  succeeding  checks,  although  by  this  system  it  is  more 
difficult  to  control  the  depth  of  the  water  in  any  particular  check. 

Style  of  Checks. — The  style  of  check  depends  upon  a  number  of 
factors,  chief  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the  slope  of  the  land 
and  the  character  of  the  soil.  While  the  checks  may  be  made  larger 
than  rectangular  checks  for  alfalfa,  yet  they  should  in  no  case  be 
made  larger  than  will  enable  a  uniform  depth  of  water  to  be  main- 
tained. On  land  that  is  quite  level  checks  of  from  two  to  five  acres 
will  doubtless  be  of  convenient  size.  The  borders  should  be  as  low  as 
possible  and  very  broad  at  the  bottom.  Such  lands  will  enable  ordinary 
harvesting  machinery  to  be  used  with  comparative  ease. 

Preparation  of  Land. — A  fine  seed  bed  is  an  all-essential  thing  to 
start  a  rice  crop  properly.  No  other  cereal  is  so  sensitive  to  soil  con- 
ditions as  is  the  rice  plant.  The  seed  germinates  very  slowly  and 
the  young  plant  is  very  sensitive,  so  it  is  all-essential  that  the  soil 
be  well  prepared  and  put  into  as  fine  condition  as  possible.  This  is 
necessary  to  secure  proper  seeding  at  a  uniform  depth,  so  that  the 
seeds  can  be  placed  very  shallow  and  yet  be  covered  with  soil.  The 
land,  of  course,  should  be  rather  deeply  plowed,  and  especially  if  it 


—  7  — 

is  land  that  has  been  farmed  to  grain  and  abandoned,  because  the 
rice  plant  secures  a  larger  portion  of  its  nitrogen  from  the  soil  while 
it  is  still  young,  and  while  it  is  growing  as  an  ordinary  dry  land  cereal. 
During  this  time  the  plant  needs  the  best  of  conditions,  because 
very  soon  there  comes  a  time  when  the  plant  changes  its  habit  from 
a  dry  land  plant  to  a  water  plant.  It  does  this  by  developing  a  water 
root  system.  If  it  is  not  properly  nourished  prior  to  this  time,  it 
will  show  this  ill  treatment  even  until  it  matures.  If  the  land  is  not 
worked  as  deeply  as  it  should  be,  the  development  of  the  white,  or 


. .-., 

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Fig.   3. — Variety  trial  of  rice  at 


California. 


water,  roots  is  always  delayed  and  consequently  the  growing  season 
is  lengthened.  If  the  soil  is  not  put  into  excellent  condition  for  re- 
ceiving the  seed,  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  uniform  seeding,  so  there 
will  be  seed  that  will  not  develop  plants  and  there  will  be  seed  planted 
too  deep  which  will  rot,  and  there  will  be  an  uneven  development 
among  the  plants;  all  of  which  will  have  an  influence  on  the  utimate 
yield  and  also  upon  the  quality  of  the  rice. 

While  shallow  plowing  is  sometimes  recommended  for  rice  in  the 
South,  yet  the  best  results  have  usually  been  secured  by  deep  plow- 
ing. The  roots  of  annual  plants  do  not  feed  much  below  the  plow 
line,  and  such  deep  preparation  brings  more  available  plant  food  within 
the  reach  of  the  feeding  roots  of  the  plant.      If  it  is  feared  that  such 


-  8  — 

deep  plowing  should  leave  the  soil  too  open  for  good  germination,  it 
can  easily  be  somewhat  compacted  by  the  use  of  a  roller. 

Generally  speaking,  the  land  should  be  prepared  very  much  the 
same  as  for  a  grain  crop. 

The  Selection  of  Seed. — Great  care  must  be  exercised  in  the  selec- 
tion of  rice  for  seed;  much  more  than  for  other  cereals.  Under  no 
circumstances  should  seed  be  used  containing  red  rice,  since  this  soon 
becomes  a  serious  pest.  Uniformity  in  quality  and  size  of  kernel  and 
freedom  from  grass  and  other  weed  seeds  are  also  essential,  because 
under  the  conditions  under  which  rice  is  grown  the  question  of  con- 
trol of  weeds  soon  becomes  one  of  much  importance.  Uniformity  of 
size  is  much  more  important  with  rice  than  with  other  cereals  because 
of  difficulties  encountered  in  the  polishing  process. 

Seeding. — Seeding  should  be  done  as  soon  as  warm  weather  comes 
and  the  danger  of  frost  is  passed.  Rice  plants  should  not  be  stunted. 
Under  ordinary  conditions  the  month  of  April  is  likely  to  offer  the 
most  favorable  conditions  for  seeding.  While  in  the  south  drilling  is 
regarded  as  the  most  satisfactory  method  of  seeding,  Mr.  ¥m.  Grant, 
who  has  tried  both  methods  on  the  adobe  soil,  is  firmly  of  the  belief 
that  broadcasting,  followed  by  immediate  flooding,  is  preferable  on  this 
soil.  His  experience  is  that  it  gives  a  much  quicker  and  better  germina- 
tion.    This  is  a  matter,  however,  which  needs  more  careful  study. 

The  rate  of  seeding  depends  upon  the  type  of  seed.  The  object 
should  be  to  plant  seed  according  to  the  size  of  the  grains  and  the 
stooling  habit  of  the  plant.  It  is  well,  however,  to  limit  the  stooling 
of  those  varieties  that  tend  to  produce  a  very  large  number  of  stools, 
because  the  excessive  stooling  is  conducive  to  unevenness  in  ripening. 
It  is  better  to  sow  heavy  stooling  types  somewhat  thicker,  and  thus 
reduce  the  number  of  culms.  This  can  also  be  effected  by  proper 
control  of  the  water.  With  the  average  variety,  the  grains  should 
be  about  four  or  five  inches  apart,  when  sown  in  a  six  or  seven  inch 
spaced  drill. 

Rate  of  Seeding. — Trials  made  with  four  different  varieties  of  rice 
as  to  the  most  effective  rate  of  seeding  showed  without  exception  that 
from  60  to  70  lbs.  per  acre  gave  a  higher  yield  and  of  better  quality 
than  either  a  larger  or  smaller  quantity  of  seed. 

Flooding. — Under  suitable  conditions  rice  can  be  grown  without 
irrigation,  but  no  extensive  rice  industry  has  ever  been  developed 
except  under  irrigated  conditions,  and  it  is  certain  that  it  will  not 
be  developed  to  any  extent  under  other  conditions  in  California,  not- 
withstanding what  may  be  the  ultimate  outcome  of  upland  rice  on 
the  moist  bottom  lands. 

As  compared  with  the  production  of  other  cereals,  flooding  for  long^ 


9  — 


periods  during  the  active  growing  season,  constitutes  the  most  dis- 
tinctive feature  of  rice  culture. 

Except  when  water  is  necessary  for  germinating  the  seed,  the  rice 
is  not  flooded  until  the  plants  are  from  6  to  8  inches  in  height.  Too 
early  flooding  of  the  rice  is  very  liable  to  scald  the  young  plants. 

AVhile  under  the  most  favorable  conditions,  a  constantly  saturated 
soil  would  be  sufficient,  yet  as  a  matter  of  precaution,  lest  the  plant 
suffer,  it  is  far  better  to  have  the  water  stand  at  an  even  depth  of 
from  2  to  4  inches  over  the  entire  field  during  the  second  period  of 
growth.  Stagnation  of  the  water,  which  encourages  the  growth  of 
troublesome  weeds,  should  be  avoided  by  allowing  a  small  continuous 
inflow  and  outflow.  Tillering  of  the  plants  is  encouraged  by  not 
allowing  them  to  go  too  long  without  water  in  their  early  growth,  and 
by  maintaining  a  good  saturation  of  the  soil  without  entire  flooding 
at  the  beginning  of  the  second  stage  of  growth. 

Kind  and  Amount  of  Water. — Ordinary  river  water,  or  water  that 
is  suitable  for  irrigating  other  crops,  will  also  do  for  application  to 
rice.  While  rice  will  stand  considerable  alkali  in  the  water,  yet  exten- 
sive investigations  have  not  been  made  to  determine  the  exact  limit  of 
tolerance. 

In  one  instance  during  the  past  season,  samples  were  taken  for  the 
sake  of  contrast,  and  the  results  are  stated  below.  Sample  No.  1  was 
taken  from  a  spot  where  the  rice  was  growing  satisfactorily,  and  No.  2 
was  taken  from  a  spot  in  the  same  field  where  the  same  variety  of 
rice  seemed  to  be  seriously  affected  by  the  alkali.  Analyses  showed 
as  follows: 


Per  cent 

total  soluble 

salts. 

Per  cent 
chloride. 

Per  cent 
carbonate. 

Per  cent 
sulfate. 

No.  1 

.0912 
.6896 

.0350 
.1160 

.0042 
.1017 

.0520 

No.  2  

.4719 

It  is  generally  considered  that  more  than  0.40  per  cent  is  decidedly 
injurious. 

It  is  well,  however,  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  the  warmer  the 
water,  the  more  conducive  it  is  to  rapid  growth  of  the  plants,  so  that 
if  water  is  taken  from  a  large  stream,  or  pumped  directly  from  wells, 
if  it  could  be  carried  in  a  ditch  or  stored  in  a  reservoir  until  it  reached 
a  higher  temperature,  it  would  be  much  better  suited  to  the  plants. 
The  plants  grow  best,  perhaps,  when  standing  in  water  at  a  tempera- 
ture above  110  degrees,  so  that  there  is  little  danger  of  the  water 
becoming  too  hot  in  the  Sacramento  or  San  Joaquin  valleys. 

In  connection  with  the  amount  of  water  we  must  also  consider  the 


—  10  — 

humidity  of  the  atmosphere.  This  is  recognized  as  being  very  low 
in  the  interior  valleys  of  the  State,  as  compared  with  the  humidity 
of  the  rice  growing  sections  of  the  United  States,  and  to  offset  this, 
it  is  necessary  to  use  a  much  larger  amount  of  water  for  irrigation 
purposes  than  is  there  required.  While  in  Louisiana  four  acre  feet 
is  sufficient  for  producing  a  crop,  it  requires  up  to  seven  feet  in  the 
Sacramento  Valley,  the  additional  water  being  largely  lost  through 
evaporation,  which  from  the  shaded  water  among  the  rice  plants  ave- 
rages about  one  one  hundredths  of  a  foot  per  day,  and  about  two 
one  hundredths  when  exposed  to  the  sunlight.  This,  of  course,  is  in 
the  center  of  a  large  irrigated  field,  and  is  not  nearly  so  large  as  the 
evaporation  from  a  small  dish  set  out  in  the  open  by  itself,  with  the 
surrounding  atmosphere  and  soil  both  being  dry  and  hot.  Under 
the  latter  conditions,  the  evaporation  would  often  be  as  high  as  half 
an  inch  per  day.  The  size  of  the  rice  field  would  also  have  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  loss  of  water  through  evaporation  and  the  hu- 
midity of  the  atmosphere  affecting  the  crop.  The  larger  the  field, 
the  better  would  be  the  conditions  for  growth.  This  is  also  true  of 
corn  when  grown  in  smaller  or  larger  areas. 

Depth  of  Water. — Some  careful  trials  were  made  near  Chico  in  1910 
by  one  of  the  experimenters  who  has  much  experience  with  rice  as  to  the 
effect  of  the  depth  of  water  upon  the  crop,  and  through  the  courtesy  of 
this  party  the  following  figures  are  presented  as  offering  valuable  sug- 
gestions to  prospective  growers. 

In  this  experiment  the  variety  used  was  Wateribune.  From  April 
1st  to  May  10th  the  ground  was  kept  thoroughly  wet  at  all  times. 
From  May  11th  to  May  24th  the  water  was  held  one  inch  deep;  from 
May  25th  to  Aug.  27th  the  depth  was  varied  as  indicated  in  the  fol- 
lowing table. 


Depth   of  water, 
May   24   to  Aug.    7. 


Condition 

June  1st. 

June  30th. 

July  31st. 

Aug. 

31st. 

May  24th. 

Heads 
per  plant. 

L            S 

L 

s 

L 

s 

L            S 

L 

S 

12         8 

14 

10 

22 

36 

28        58 

42 

60 

60 

13         9 

16 

14 

21 

38 

29       63 

44 

59 

59 

13         9 

16 

14 

20 

36 

30       62 

42 

58 

58 

13         9 

15 

12 

23 

38 

27        59 

42 

58 

58 

13         9 

15 

13 

19 

42 

26        65 

38 

59 

59 

13         9 

14 

14 

19 

40 

26       67 

38 

56 

56 

Yield 
per  acre, 
pounds. 


1  inch  __. 

2  inches 

3  inches 

4  inches 
o  inches 
6  inches 


7,926 
8,091 
7,971 
7,920 
7,325 
7,038 


L— Length  of  leaf.     S— Stools. 


While  the  above  represents  but  a  single  trial,  yet  the  indications  are 
quite  strong  that  the  maximum  quantity  of  water  on  the  adobe  soil 
should  not  exceed  4  inches  in  depth  and  that  not  less  than  2  inches 
should  be  used. 


—  11  — 

Harvesting  and  Threshing. — Harvesting  of  the  rice  crop  is  done 
with  the  self  binder.  "With  the  high  cost  of  labor  in  this  country 
it  is  only  by  the  employment  of  the  most  modern  machinery,  enabl- 
ing one  man  to  handle  a  relatively  large  acreage,  that  makes  it  pos- 
sible to  compete  with  other  countries   (See  page  22). 

Rice  is  cut  when  in  the  "hard  dough"  stage,  which  renders  the 
grain  tough  and  better  able  to  stand  the  hulling  process  without  too 
serious  loss.  The  cut  is  made  from  6  to  10  inches  above  the  ground. 
"The  rice  should  be  left  in  the  shock  till  the  straw  is  cured  and  the 
grain  hard." 


Fig.   4. — A  field  of  Honduras  rice  near  Gridley,   California. 

During  curing  the  heads  should  be  well  protected  from  the  direct 
sun  as  much  loss  frequently  comes  from  sun-cracking  and  the  develop- 
ment of  chalky  kernels.  Experience  may  show  that  it  will  be  best 
to  use  "caps"  for  the  shock.  Under  favorable  conditions  the  grain 
will  cure  in  about  one  week. 

The  threshing  is  done  by  means  of  a  stationary  threshing  outfit, 
as  with  other  cereals.  Unless  considerable  care  and  judgment  are 
used  in  the  handling  of  the  machine,  some  loss  may  occur  from  the 
cracking  of  the  kernels.  Before  bagging,  the  rice  should  be  thoroughly 
dry. 

Probably  no  branch  of  the  rice  industry  has  reached  a  point  nearer 
perfection  than  the  processes  necessary  for  handling  the  grain  from 
the  time  it  is  cut  in  tho  field,  until  delivered  to  the  rice  mill,  or  in 
other  words — threshing.  At  least  eight  of  the  leading  implement  houses 
of  the  country  are  now  manufacturing  machines  for  the  threshing 
of  rice. 

Modern  devices  have  so  regulated  this  work,  that  from  twelve  to 
fourteen  men,  including  team  drivers,  are  considered  quite  sufficient. 
The  improvements  on  the  stacker  alone  reduce  the  number  of  men 


—  12 


by  at  least  six,  while  the  self-feeder  for  the  machine  cuts  off  four  more. 

There  is  no  set  time-  for  the  threshing  to  begin,  as  it  is  necessary 
for  the  rice  to  reach  a  certain  stage  of  maturity  before  threshing  can 
begin.  This  is  likely  to  be  a  shorter  period  in  California  than  in  the 
South  on  account  of  the  lower  humidity  of  the  air.  Threshing  should 
begin  as  soon  after  cutting  as  practicable,  both  to  avoid  "sun-crack- 
ing" and  the  development  of  chalky  kernels,  and  possible  loss  from 
early  rains. 

Yield. — It  is  perhaps  too  soon  to  be  able  to  form  any  close  idea  of 
what  may  be  fairly  expected  under  California  conditions,  but  it  may 
be  said  that  such  trials,  as  have  been  made,  give  promise  of  excellent 
returns. 

Along  the  Mississippi  river  bottom  lands,  8  barrels  or  1,296  pounds 
are  considered  about  the  average  per  acre,  and  12  barrels,  or  1,944 
pounds  are  regarded  as  a  good  yield.  In  the  noted  Crowley,  Louisiana 
rice  region,  the  yield  is  from  10  to  18  barrels  of  162  pounds  each.  A 
fair  average  for  that  locality  would  doubtless  be  about  2,000  pounds. 

In  1908  a  planting  of  about  40  acres  was  made  at  Biggs,  Butte  Co., 
by  Balfour,  Guthrie  &  Co:  Of  this  about  one-half  was  lost  from  too 
late  planting  and  other  unfavorable  conditions.  Of  the  portion  finally 
harvested  the  following  notes  were  taken: 

Plat  Planting  of  Rice  at  Biggs,  1909. 


Variety. 


Acres. 

1 

Date 

First 

Continued 

Water 

Date 

sowr 

. 

irrigated. 

flooding. 

off. 

harvested. 

4.0 

Mar. 

27 

Mar.  28 

June  15 

Sept.  25 

Oct. 

9 

1.5 

Apr. 

6 

Apr.     7 

June  15 

Oct.    10 

Oct. 

19 

2.5 

Apr. 

6 

Apr.     7 

June  15 

Oct.    10 

Oct. 

20 

4.0 

Apr. 

24 

May  24 

June    5 

July  15 

* 

8.0 

Apr. 

25 

May  24 

June    5 

Oct.    19 

Oct. 

30 

Yield 
per  acre. 


Honduras 
Shinriki  _ 
Shinriki  _ 
Honduras 
Shinriki    _ 


2.600 
3,400 
3,960 
* 

1,525 


*Not  harvested  ;  planting  too  late  for  this  variety. 

Season  of  1909.— In  the  season  of  1909  Mr.  William  Grant  at  Biggs 
conducted  an  extensive  variety  test,  and  through  his  courtesy  we  are 
able  to  present  the  results  of  his  work  that  season. 

Two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  varieties  were  seeded  on  April  9th,  each 
variety  being  planted  in  four  rows,  seven  inches  apart  and  one  rod  long, 
the  space  between  varieties  three  feet.  Each  of  these  plantings  therefore 
contained  38.5  square  feet.  Of  the  total  number  planted,  five  failed  to 
germinate  and  51  failed  to  mature. 

The  yield  from  these  variety  tests  calculated  to  per  acre  basis  ranged 
from  1,979  to  13,855  pounds  per  acre  with  an  average  yield  for  the  entire 
area  and  all  varieties  5,688  pounds  per  acre. 


—  13  — 

In  addition  to  these  nursery  plantings,  a  number  of  plat  plantings 
varying  in  size  from  one-fortieth  to  one-tenth  acre  were  made,  which  gave 
the  following  return  in  order  of  date  of  harvest : 

Plat  Plantings  of  Rice  at  Biggs,  1909. 


Date  of 

harvest. 


Order  of 
ripening. 


Yield 
per  acre, 
pounds. 


Character 
of  berry. 


Honduras1 

Spagnuolo3 

No.  15843  

Lencino3 

Vialone  Nero3  

Nero  Vialone3 

Unknown3    

Puglia  Sarda3 

Ranghino3  

Spagnuolo3  

Japanese2 

Unknown1    

Carolina  Gold1  

Ying  Ta  Mi1 

Carolina  White1 

Unknown3    

Nero  Vialone3 

Lencino  (1593)3 

Ranghino3 

Lencino  (1593)3 

Lencino  (1586)3 

Novarese3 

Unknown3  

Puglia   Sarda3  

Wateribune2 

Dry  land  (Japanese)1 

Oiran3  

Wateribune3  

Lencino8  

Nero  Vialone3 

Unknown3 


Oct.  18 
Aug.  26 
Aug.  16 
Sept.  1 
Sept.  5 
Sept.  5 
Sept.  6 
Sept.  1 
Sept.  1 
Aug.  27 
Nov.  7 
Aug.  23 
Nov.  1 
Aug.  24 
Oct.  11 
Aug.  16 
Sept.  12 
Sept.  12 
Aug.  26 
Sept.  12 
Sept.  4 
Sept.  9 
Sept.  21 
Sept.  14 
Oct.  21 
Sept.  23 
Oct.  4 
Oct.  21 
Sept.  12 
Sept.  12 
Sept,  21 


Average 


2,450 
2,860 
1,580 
3,040 
2,020 
4,000 
3,000 
2,900 
2,640 
2,380 
6,640 
2,450 
6,417 
2,668 
5,380 
920 
3,000 
1,840 
2,190 
2,530 
3,260 
3,140 
3,330 
2,520 
7,955 
5,860 
4,840 
7,060 
1,740 
2,770 
3,680 


3,486 


Long 
Short 

Short 
Short 
Short 

Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 

Long 
Short 
Long 

Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 

Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 
Short 


al/10  acre. 
2l/20  acre. 
3l/40  acre. 


During  the  season  of  1909  the  average  yield  for  rows  and  plat 
plantings  was  2,993  pounds  per  acre. 

Season  of  1910. — The  experimental  work  in  1910  was  extended  to  a 
larger  area,  and  variety  trials  in  small  plantings  were  continued. 


-  14  — 


In   small   plantings   for   variety   trials   the   following   results   were 
obtained : 


Name  or  number. 

Yield 
per  acre, 
pounds. 

Name  or  number. 

Yield 
per  acre, 
pounds. 

Nyen  Yen  Yati 

10,160 
7,420 
5,580 
6,600 

12,880 
6,060 
7,540 
7,740 
7,340 
7,280 
6,100 
5,900 
7,400 
7,400 
6,740 
7,900 

Japanese  No.  1548 

8,540 

No.  1153 

Japanese  No.  1472  _ 

8,470 

Makuno  Ichi        _  _ 

Okaku    _  _ 

8,500 

No.  1576 

Omachi     _  _  _                   __  _  __ 

8,300 

Shinriki    ___             _  __ 

No.  1164 

5,000 

Ban  Hoe  ________ 

No.  1288 

,6,320 

Shi  Kin  Tsai 

Thosar  Bhadai  ghaiya 

No.  1259 

4,500 

No.  1466 

4,350 

Nun  Key 

Mochigome  (Chinese) 

Philippine    _______ 

6,070 

Tso  Toa  Hoe 

7,570 

0  Kai  Hoe  Rai 

Patna  (?)    _  _ 

5,860 

Basmati 

Tackmaroo  ghaiva 

5,750 

Wateribune 

Sam  sai    _____ 

5,500 

Sekitori      _  _  _  _ 

Japan  "A"   (Solo)  _____  ___ 

7,920 

No    1465 

Average      _  

No.  1571  

7,089 

In  plat  plantings  ranging  in  size  from  one-eightieth  acre  to  one-half 
acre  results  as  subtended  were  obtained: 


Name  or  number. 

Yield 
per  acre, 
pounds. 

Yield 
Name  or  number.                             per  acre, 
pounds. 

Carolina  Gold"' 

3,578 
2,462 
4,176 
2,466 
2,916 
5,216 
8,320 
4,640 
5,800 
7,680 
6,800 
5,120 
6,320 
7,760 
5,920 
4,560 
6,320 
7,120 
7,680 
6,560 
4,720 
7,000 
7,000 
4,400 

Japanese  No.  14722    _ 

5,240 

Ying  Ta  Mi5 

Kakuno  uchi1        ______ 

7,440 

Japanese5 

Shi  Kin  Tsai1    _ 

6.960 

Honduras5 

Japanese  dry  land4 

5,510 

Carolina  White5 

Patna  (18919)3 

4,140 

Wateribune5 

No.  15533 

6,420 

Wateribune  (1561)1 

No.  16004 

4.260 

No.  12881  

Wateribune  ?  (1561)* 6,930 

No.  15662    _ 

Oiron4    _  _ 

5,910 

Japanese  No.  11531 

Welchi1 

5.600 

No.  16651 

Nero  Vialone4 _      __    _ 

1,040 

Tso  Toa  Hoe1 

Lencino4    _         __— 

2,120 

O  Ka  Hoe  Rai1 

Egyptian  Bull4     _         _    _  _  _ 

3,220 

Omachi2 

Honduras  (Grant)4    ___ 

2,850 

No.  14661 

Sheldon's4 

5,580 

No.  11641  

Vialone  Nero  (1588)4 

Puglia  Sarda4 _    _ 

3,010 

Basmati1 

3,210 

Nun  Key1 

Ranghino4     _      _ 

2,470 

Japanese1 

No.  16024 

3,500 

No.  14651 

No.  15844     _     _     __- 

2,420 

Ban  Hoe1 

Spagnuolo  (1582)4 ___ 

1,930 

No.  15711  _ 

Novarese4 _               

1,610 

O  Kaku1 

Spagnuolo  (1585)4    _ 

2,610 

Japanese  No.  15481 

90-day3 

2,300 

n/SO  acre. 
2 1/40  acre. 
3l/20  acre. 
41/10  acre. 
5l/2  acre. 


This  planting  covered  six  acres  and  the  total  yield  was  19,835  pounds 
or  3,306  pounds  per  acre. 


15 


In  1910  at  Biggs,  Butte  County,  California,  the  following  yield  was 
obtained  in  some  experimental  plantings: 


Bushels 
per  acre. 


Pounds 
per  acre. 


Honduras  

Wateribune 

Ying  Ta  Mi 

Spagnuolo  

Carolina  White 
Carolina  Gold  . 


63.3 

2,785 

31.3 

5,777 

54.7 

2,407 

58.0 

2,552 

64.8 

2,851 

79.5 

3,498 

On  another  planting,  covering  about  56  acres,  the  average  yield 
was  3,820  pounds  per  acre.  On  this  tract  a  number  of  varieties  were 
grown  with  the  idea  of  forming  some  idea  as  to  the  better  type  for 
use.      The  yield  for  each  of  the  varieties  is  shown  below : 


Sacks.* 

Gross 
weight. 

Pounds 
per  acre. 

Size  of  plats 
acres. 

Ying  Ta  Mi 

86 
87 
52 

111 
36 
65 
43 

129 
39 

337 
56 
30 
18 

525 

518 
41 
19 
22 
22 

118 

101 

6,770 
8,278 
4.795 
9,345 
2,915 
5,965 
4,110 

13,793 
3,090 

35,169 
5,170 
2,400 
1,517 

54,540 

50,450 
3,190 
1,528 
1,822 
1,601 

10,575 
7,831 

3,885 
5,518 
3,836 
4,063 
2,240 
4,580 
3,161 
3,810 
3,090 
6,700 
4,136 
4,800 
6,068 
6,400 
3,734 
1,595 
3,056 
2,429 
1,777 
2,738 
2,610 

2.00 

Dry  Land  Japan.      _ 

1.50 

Puglia  Sarda     _____        _     _           _  _      _ 

1.25 

Lencino    _____         _  __    _. 

2.30 

Saba _                _    _        

1.45 

Oiran     _  _ _  _ 

1.30 

1602-1600   

1.30 

Vialone  Nero      __      _  _.  _           ___      _     _ 

3.62 

Spagnuolo __     _.__           ___ 

1.00 

Wateribune     ______ 

5.25 

Ranghino     _____      _____ 

1.25 

Egyptian   Bull _____ 

.50 

18919  Patna _    __ 

.25 

Shinriki     ________    _     __    __ 

8.55 

Honduras _____        __    __ 

13.51 

Calcutta  (Sheldons)  _____ 

2.00 

Lencino    _____      __  __        _  _ 

.50 

Novarese     _____    _    _____    _ 

.75 

Manchurian _    _     _      _  _ 

.90 

Carolina  Gold  __ _        _  .     _      _    _ 

3.80 

Carolina  White . 

3.00 

(  3,820 

55.98 

*These  are  not  regular  rice  sacks,  but  grain  sacks. 

Season  of  1911. — At  Biggs,  but  three  varieties  of  rice  were  seeded  by 
Mr.  Grant  in  1911.    The  results  were  as  follows : 


Acres. 

Total 
sacks. 

Calculated 

yield 

per  acre, 

pounds. 

Wateribune                           .-_ _  __  __           

35.05 
9.00 
1.50 

1,463 
154 

41 

4,170 

Shinriki                              _    

1,710 

Honduras       _ _ 

2,730 

There  was  a  very  heavy  loss  this  season  from  wind  and  birds  and  it 


—  16  — 

is  estimated  that  in  the  case  of  the  Shinriki  variety  this  amounted  to 
three-fourths  of  the  crop.  For  the  Honduras  variety  the  seeding  was 
too  late. 

Several  varieties  were  planted  under  test  on  the  ranch  of  the  Moulton 
Ranch  Company  near  Colusa.  About  70  acres  were  devoted  to  the  crop, 
a  portion  of  which  was  sown  according  to  the  instructions  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  The  seeding  was  necessarily  delayed  until  May 
17th,  on  account  of  overflow  of  back  water  from  the  river.  The  soil  used 
was  a  dark  adobe  type  overlaid  with  more  or  less  sediment.  The  adobe 
appeared  uncovered  in  numerous  shall  areas  but  the  rice  apparently 
did  as  well  on  such  spots  as  upon  the  sediment.  The  soil  type  seems  to 
be  a  minor  factor  if  the  water  is  properly  applied. 


17 


Pounds  per  acre, 
at  44  pounds  per 
bushel    


00    00    (M 

f    T    N 

oooto 


Bushels  per   acre. 


©  os  os  oo  Si 


lO   ©  00       I   M       I  O 


CO   -^i   -*   ■*  IC 


Weight  per  bushel. 


Grains   per   head. 


■*«IN»HN(M'*C5T)iin00lMH<f*HO 
MTtlTHeOOHbOOOOOOOOClJMiaHIMINH 


Length     of     heads, 
inches    


Stools    per    plant. 


aNfflCfONNt-lOffi^ffl 


Height  of  plant, 
including  head, 
inches    

Irrigated   

Harvested 

Last    matured 

First   matured 

Last     headed 

First    headed 

Planted   

Stand 


j>t~t~t~r-t~t-t~r-t-t^t-t-t-t-t~t~t~ 


88 


co  o  o  o 


a      cacao. 

QJ    OJ     1)    O    ® 

xn  CO  co  co  CO 


a  a  a  a  a 


ho  bo  bo  ho  bo 


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Concerning  this  planting  Mr.  C.  N.  Hawkins,  president  of  the  com- 
pany on  whose  lands  these  plantings  were  made,  writes  as  follows : 
4 '  Only  a  very  small  portion  of  our  rice  matured.  This  was  due  to  the 
combination  of  late  planting  and  to  the  exceptionally  cold  summer. 
The  late  planting  was  due  to  our  inability  to  get  irrigation  water  in 
time  and  was  about  six  weeks  later  than  it  should  have  been.  The 
Government  reports  show  at  Willows,  the  nearest  town  reported,  a  heat 
deficiency  in  August  of  about  3°  and  in  September  of  about  9°." 


Fig.   5. — A  bunch  of  Japanese  Wateribune  rice. 

"The  growth  and  prospect  of  the  rice  were  phenomenal  *  *  #. 
None  of  our  large  pieces  matured  and  only  four  or  five  of  the  smaller 
plats." 

Near  Stockton  several  varieties  of  rice  were  planted  by  Mr.  R.  R. 
Smith  in  1911.  Of  these  plantings  Mr.  Smith  writes  as  follows:  "I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  my  rice  experiments  this  season  have  given  little  satis- 
faction.   My  planting  was  not  made  until  the  2nd  of  June,  so  I  really 


—  19  — 

had  little  reason  to  hope  for  much,  especially  so  when  the  summer 
proved  so  cool  as  the  one  just  past.  I  had  no  rice  come  to  maturity, 
but  U.  S.  numbers  1581,  1551#  and  1589  made  the  best  showings  in 
the  order  given." 

Most  Promising  Varieties. — It  is  probably  too  early  to  state  what 
will  ultimately  be  found  to  be  the  best  variety  of  rice  to  use  in  Cali- 
fornia, but  the  experiments  certainly  indicate  that  the  Japanese  type 
will  give  much  the  heavier  yield. 


Fig.    6. — A   field   of  mature   rice,    Biggs,    California. 

This  type  has  a  short,  thick  kernel,  a  thick  hull  and  a  heavy  grain, 
and  yields  a  larger  percentage  of  head  rice.  A  variety  of  medium 
period  of  growth  should  be  chosen.  If  too  early  the  yield  is  lessened 
and  if  too  late  there  is  danger  of  rain  or  frost. 

The  two  varieties  which  have  been  preeminently  successful  are 
Wateribune  and  Shinriki.  The  former  is  a  rice  with  a  long  head 
and  very  short  beard.  It  is  a  mid-season  rice  with  heavy  stooling 
habits.  It  is  as  late  a  variety  as  it  is  advisable  to  use  in  this  State. 
This  variety  was  distinctly  the  best  appearing  type  at  both  Colusa  and 
Stockton  in  1911.  At  Biggs  this  type  produced  7,507  pounds  per  acre 
in  1909,  5,777  pounds  per  acre  in  1910  in  one  tract,  and  in  another 
averaged  6,700  pounds  per  acre  on  5J  acres  and  in  1911  returned  4,170 
pounds  per  acre. 

*This  variety  is  Ying  ta  Mi. 


—  20  — 

The  Shinriki  variety  is  an  improved  Japanese  rice  and  is  one  of 
the  best  yielding  varieties.  It  is,  however,  somewhat  later  than  the 
former  variety  and  when  planted  as  late  as  May  17th,  does  not  prop- 
erly mature.  In  1910  at  Biggs,  this  type  returned  an  average  of 
6,400  pounds  from  8-J  acres. 

With  longer  trial  it  may  prove  that  some  of  the  Italian  varieties 
are  better  adapted  than  the  above. 

COMPOSITION    OF    CALIFORNIA    GROWN    RICE. 

Analysis  was  made  of  composite  samples  of  both  the  Honduras  and 
Japanese  types  of  unpolished  rice  grown  in  California.  The  results  of 
these  analyses  calculated  to  dry  matter  are  given  below : 


Japanese 

type 
per  cent. 

Honduras 

type 
per  cent. 

Water  ______                                                                     ._    _ 

9.62 
10.06 
2.57 
1.90 
1.24 
84.23 

9.72 

Protein     ____                                                 _______ 

11.40 

Fat 

2.51 

Ash 

1.61 

Crude  fiber _             _____                ______             __  __ 

1.17 

Carbohydrates 

83.31 

Analyses  by  Mr.  B.  A.  Madson,  University  of  California. 

For  the  sake  of  comparison  only  a  single  analysis  of  Louisiana 
unpolished  rice  (Honduras  type)  is  available.  This  shows  a  protein 
content  of  9.88  per  cent.  Calculated  to  the  same  basis  the  California 
grown  sample  shows  10.59,  thus  indicating  that  its  food  value  is  at  least 
as  high  as  the  Southern  grown  product. 

MAINTAINING    FERTILITY. 

It  has  been  shown*  that  the  average  proportion  of  straw  to  rice, 
with  average  yields  of  about  twelve  sacks  of  162  pounds  each  per 
acre,  is  about  two  to  one.  Therefore,  a  yield  of  about  2,000  pounds 
of  rough  rice  would  carry  with  it  about  4,000  pounds  of  straw.  On 
this  basis  and  adopting  the  average  composition  of  rice  as  shown  by 
American  analyses,  one  sack  of  rice  weighing  162  pounds  with  its 
straw,  in  comparison  with  a  sack  of  wheat  of  140  pounds  with  its 
straw  will  require  plant  food  as  follows: 


Rice. 
1    sack:    162    lbs. 


Wheat. 
1    sack:    140   lbs. 


Nitrogen   

Phosphoric  acid 
Potash  


4.38  pounds 
1.36  pounds 
1.62  pounds 


4.70  pounds 
1.52  pounds 
2.04  pounds 


■Bull.  61,  La.  Exp.  Station. 


—  21  — 

Thus  it  appears  that  a  sack  of  rough  rice  with  its  straw  removes 
about  the  same  amount  of  plaut  food  as  two  bushels  of  wheat.  The 
yield  of  rice  per  acre,  however,  is  greater  than  that  of  wheat,  so  the 
total  amount  of  plant  food  removed  from  the  soil  per  acre  is  about 
the  same  in  the  two  crops,  and  the  distribution  of  the  soil  draught 
between  the  plant  food  elements  is  about  the  same. 

Rice  makes  heavy  draught  upon  the  soil  nitrogen,  the  effect  of  which 
will  be  more  noticeable  in  the  case  of  rice  than  of  wheat  bcause  of 
the  arrested  nitrification  which  is  occasioned  by  the  flooded  period. 
All  cultivated  crops  make  use  of  nitrogen  in  the  form  of  nitrates  which 
are  formed  in  the  soil  by  the  action  of  nitrifying  bacteria.  Such 
nitrification  can  not  take  place  in  an  inundated  soil.  The  bacteria 
are  drowned,  so  to  speak.  To  remain  fertile  a  soil  must  have  the 
action  of  both  sunshine  and  air  to  facilitate  bacterial  action.  Con- 
tinued rice  culture  soon  developes  a  very  undesirable  "waterlogged" 
soil  condition  under  which  favorable  bacteria  can  not  work.  Hence, 
the  great  necessity  of  providing  for  quick  and  thorough  drainage 
which  can  be  utilized  at  the  close  of  the  irrigating  season,  and  the 
use  of  drainage  furrows  to  take  care  of  surplus  water  during  the 
winter  rains. 


Fig. 


-A  field  of  Honduras  rice  after  harvest  at  Gridley,   California. 


ROTATION    OP    CROPS. 

There  is  more  than  ordinary  necessity  of  crop  rotation  in  rice  cul- 
ture because  of  difficulties  which  arise  from  such  continued  flooding 
of  the  lands.  It  is  only  by  making  use  of  every  means  of  soil  aeration 
that  fertility  can  be  maintained  for  many  years.  Aeration  is  best 
secured  by  rotations  under  dry  culture  and  an  occasional  bare  fallow. 

With  the  limited  observations  in  connection  with  this  industry  in 
California  it  is  hardly  possible  to  offer  more  than  suggestions  as  to 
possible  rotations.     It  is  the  belief  of  the  writer  that  rice  should  not 


—  22  — 

be  grown  on  the  same  land  oftener  than  once  in  three  years,  if  un- 
desirable conditions  are  to  be  avoided.  This,  of  course,  does  not 
mean  that  the  land  is  to  remain  idle  for  two  years.  Land  which  has 
borne  a  crop  of  rice  should  be  plowed  in  the  fall,  if  possible,  in  order 
to  encourage  aeration,  and  in  the  following  year  either  clay  cowpeas 
for  hog  or  cattle  food,  or  the  Blackeye  bean  for  seed  might  be  grown. 
These  may  require  a  very  limited  row  irrigation  followed  by  cultiva- 
tion. Both  corn  and  Milo  maize  also  offer  possible  cultivated  crops, 
these  to  be  followed  the  second  year  by  barley. 

The  use  of  some  rotative  crop  is  particularly  desirable  on  account  of 
the  nitrogen  which  would  be  added  to  the  soil  thereby,  in  addition  to  the 
mechanical  amelioration  of  the  soil.  If  such  a  leguminous  crop  be  used 
as  a  part  of  the  rotation  there  will  be  added  to  the  soil  at  least  one 
hundred  pounds  of  nitrogen  per  acre. 

THE  LABOR  QUESTION. 

There  is,  of  course,  more  expense  attendant  upon  the  growing  of 
a  rice  crop  than  one  of  wheat  or  barley,  and  the  question  is  often 
asked  if  we  could  successfully  compete  with  the  cheaper  labor  of  for- 
eign countries  where  practically  all  of  the  labor  is  done  by  hand. 

Upon  this  point  Prof.  S.  A.  Knapp,  who  has  given  close  attention 
to  this  subject,  writes  as  follows:* 

"The  great  variations  in  wages  and  in  the  area  which  can  be  cul- 
tivated by  the  laborer  in  different  countries  are  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing table: 

Number  of  acre*  one  man  can  farm  in  rice,  with  wages,  in  different  countries. 


Country. 


Farm  wages 

per  day, 
with  board. 


Japan  

China    

Philippines 

India    

Si  am    

Egypt  

Italy  

Spain    

United  States: 

Carolinas 

Arkansas   

Southwestern  Louisiana  and  Texas. 


60  to  80 
1  00  to  1  25 
1  50  to    2  00 


These  figures  show  that  the  high  wages  paid  in  the  United  States  need  not  stand 
in  the  way  of  the  extension  of  the  industry." 


SIZE   OF   RICE   FARMS. 


The  size  of  a  rice  farm  must  necessarily  conform  to  the  available 
water  supply  as  well  as  to  the  growers'  financial  condition.      It  must 


*  Farmers'  Bull.  417.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr. 


—  23  — 

always  be  in  mind  that  rice  requires  much  more  water  to  make  a 
crop  than  any  crop  now  produced  in  the  state  upon  a  commercial 
basis.  A  farm  of  from  40  to  80  acres  planted  in  the  proper  season 
and  condition,  irrigated  early  and  sufficiently,  harvested  and  threshed 
timely  and  well,  is  far  more  to  be  desired  than  larger  plantings  poorly 
done,  and  will  mean  much  more  for  the  state. 

California  should  seek  to  avoid  so  far  as  possible  certain  mistakes 
which  have  been  made  in  the  South.  As  with  other  crops,  many  farmers 
there  have  been  too  eager  to  control  more  land  than  they  could  properly 
handle.  This  has  proven  disastrous  in  nearly  every  instance,  and  many 
a  crop  has  been  lost  because  the  owner  has  undertaken  too  great  a  task. 

Rice  should  be  grown  by  owners  of  the  land  rather  than  renters.  The 
owner  has  a  permanent  investment  and  will  seek  to  protect  by  rotation 
and  otherwise,  while  renters  will  neither  build  up  nor  well  care  for 
property  not  their  own. 

PUMPING  FOR  IRRIGATION. 

If  there  is  a  constant  and  adequate  underground  water  flow  within 
ordinary  pumping  depth,  there  is  no  reason  why  water  can  not  be 
secured  from  such  a  source.  In  the  selection  of  machinery  for  this 
purpose  care  must  be  observed  to  have  it  of  ample  capacity  for  the 
tract. 

The  following  table  will  serve  as  a  basis  on  which  to  calculate  the 
capacity  of  a  centrifugal  pump  and  engine  necessary  to  irrigate  a 
rice  field: 

Duty  of  centrifugal  pump  for  lifting  irrigating  water  less  than  35  feet.* 


Diameter 
discharge 
(inches). 

Discharge  per 
minute  (gallons). 

Power  for  every 

foot  of  lift 
(horse  power). 

Quantity  pumped 

per  day 

(acre-feet  per 

acre). 

Area  irrigated 

2  feet  deep 

in  70  days 

(acres). 

4 

433 

.27 

1.87 

65 

6 

1,025 

.56 

4.53 

158 

8 

1,900 

.98 

8.39 

294 

10 

3,000 

1.54 

13.25 

464 

12 

4,275 

2.06 

18.89 

661 

15 

7,000 

3.34 

30.93 

1,083 

18 

10,000 

4.62 

44.19 

1,547 

20 

13,000 

•       5.68 

57.45 

2,011 

Many  types  of  pumps  are  in  use  in  California  for  irrigation  pur- 
poses, but  the  consensus  of  opinion  seems  to  favor  the  centrifugal 
pump  as  being  the  most  satisfactory.  Certainly  no  one  can  make 
a  serious  mistake  in  this  type  of  pump  if  ample  capacity  for  the  irri- 
gated area  is  provided  for. 


♦Bond,  U.  S.  Dept.  Agr.     Corrected  by  Prof.  B.  A.  Etchevery,  University  of  Cali- 
fornia. 


-  24  — 

After  seeding  no  attention  need  be  given  the  crop  except  to  see 
that  the  soil  does  not  dry  out.  Ordinarily  it  would  be  advisable  to 
compact  the  soil  somewhat  after  seeding,  but  with  the  heavier  Cali- 
fornia soils  this  would  not  be  advisable.  If  there  is  a  tendency  for 
the  soil  to  dry,  and  especially  if  the  soil  carries  some  alkali,  it  would 
be  better  to  apply  just  enough  water  to  moisten  it,  but  not  enough 
to  leave  standing  water.  Left  in  this  moist  condition,  the  seed  will 
germinate  in  about  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  after  one  month  to  six 
weeks  of  good  growing  weather,  the  plant  will  begin  to  develop  the 
white  roots,  which  signify  that  it  is  ready  to  develop  into  a  water 
plant.  It  is  now  time  to  apply  water.  Ordinarily  at  this  period 
rice  will  be  four  to  six  and  eight  inches  in  height,  depending  upon 
its  relative  height  and  relation  to  water  in  the  soil. 

WEEDS. 

Under  the  usual  conditions  of  rice  culture,  weed  growth  is  likely  to 
become  a  serious  factor  unless  much  care  is  exercised  both  in  the  selection 
of  seed  rice  and  the  introduction  of  cultivated  crops  for  rotation.  One 
of  the  most  serious  weeds  with  which  rice  growers  have  to  contend  is 
"red  rice,"  which  is  a  definite  type  of  rice  (Oryza  sativa  rufipogon) 
of  which  mention  has  already  been  made.  When  once  this  has  become 
established  in  a  rice  field  it  is  very  difficult  to  eradicate.  After  a  few 
years  of  rice  growing  it  is  well  nigh  certain  to  gain  its  way  into  the 
fields.  It  is  a  serious  pest  and  great  care  must  be  exercised  to  control  it. 
It  is  present  in  all  countries  where  rice  is  grown  commercially.  The 
grain  of  this  rice  is  usually  of  a  dark  red  color,  but  may  range  all  the 
way  from  light  pink  to  blood  red.  Often  the  outer  seed  coats  contain 
the  coloring  matter  and  in  this  case  the  color  can  be  removed  in  milling, 
but  more  frequently  this  is  not  the  case.  The  following  differences  are 
noticeable  between  red  and  white  types  of  rice:  "The  panicles  of  the 
red  are  longer,  the  heads  more  branched,  the  grain  smaller,  shorter, 
fewer  and  more  scattered  on  the  head.  The  branches  of  the  panicle  of 
the  red  are  borne  on  a  whorl,  the  grains  being  on  short  peduncles.  The 
plant  is  very  hardy  and  persistent  and  will  ripen  its  seed  under  most 
any  condition.  The  heads  are  lighter,  the  stalks  smaller,  the  plant 
tillers  freely,  from  ten  to  sixty  culms  maturing  from  a  single  seed. 
When  it  is  remembered  that  each  head  will  produce  about  one  hundred 
grains,  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  a  single  seed  in  the  field  may  produce 
6,000  grains  the  first  year.  The  grains  shatter  from  the  head  easily. 
From  50  to  75  per  cent  of  the  grains  are  scattered  on  the  fields  before 
the  crop  is  threshed.  Red  rice  crosses  readily  with  the  white,  and  the 
per  cent  of  the  red  in  the  field  is  no  doubt  increased  by  the  pollen  of 
the  red.' '—(Bui  146,  Ark.  Exp.  Sta.) 


—  25  — 

Unless  the  appearance  of  red  rice  in  the  field  is  checked  at  the 
outset  by  a  determined  effort  on  the  part  of  the  grower  it  will  soon 
cause  him  no  end  of  trouble.  In  any  attempt  to  deal  with  this  prob- 
lem work  must  proceed  along  three  distinct  lines :  1st,  Selection  of 
seed  that  is  absolutely  free  from  red  rice;  2d,  The  prevention  of  red 
rice  plants  from  flowering;  3d,  The  destruction  of  seeds  that  may 
already  be  in  the  ground. 

Other  weeds  that  are  certain  to  cause  more  or  less  trouble  are  vari- 
ous types  of  water  grasses,  besides  others  of  less  serious  type. 

Observations  in  the  field  the  past  season  have  indicated  that  morning- 
glory,  now  so  abundant  on  some  of  the  lands  likely  to  be  used  for 
rice  culture,  may  be  held  in  check  and  probably  be  destroyed  by 
timely  flooding.     Morning-glory  is  naturally  a  dry  land  plant. 

MILLING    YIELDS. 

The  milling  yield  from  raw  rice  varies  considerably,  especially  in 
the  case  of  the  Honduras  type.  Four  standard  grades  are  made :  the 
fancy,  head,  screenings  and  brewer's  rice,  besides  the  by-products  of 
polish  and  .hulls. 

The  first  two  named  are  exclusively  for  human  food,  while  the 
brewer's  rice  is  used  in  beer  making.  In  the  milling  of  the  Japanese 
type  two  separations  are  the  usual  result — the  fancy  and  screenings, 
besides  the  ordinary  by-products. 

The  short  grained  rice  (Japan)  will  give  a  yield  of  100  pounds  to 
the  sack  of  fancy,  while  Honduras,  owing  to  its  different  shape  yields 
about  60  pounds  of  fancy.  The  total  yield  in  all  grades  of  Honduras 
is  about  100  pounds. 

ASSOCIATED  INDUSTRIES. 

There  are  a  number  of  industries  which  are  indirectly  encouraged 
by  rice  culture.  Among  these  none  is  second  to  the  supplying  of 
additional  material  for  the  feeding  of  cattle.  Rice  straw  is  of  value 
as  a  stock  food.  It  contains  about  4.7  per  cent  of  protein,  of  which 
approximately  37  per  cent  is  digestible,  besides  32.2  per  cent  of  car- 
bohydrates, and  1.9  per  cent  of  fats.  Stock  is  said  to  consume  large 
quantities  of  it  on  account  of  its  excellent  flavor  and  sweetness.  It 
has  a  practical  feeding  value  much  greater  than  the  straw  from  other 
cereals. 

When  rice  becomes  discolored,  it  will  not  command  a  high  price, 
although  the  quantity  of  nutriment  is  not  seriously  impaired.  The 
market  value  of  a  human  food,  however,  depends  to  a  large  extent 
upon  the  impression  the  material  makes  to  the  eye.  Properly  fed  this 
discolored  rice  is  as  wholesome  for  stock  as  properly  cooked,  clear 
white  rice  is  for  human  consumption. 


—  26  — 

Further  should  the  industry  be  developed  to  the  extent  of  the  es- 
tablishment of  rice  mills,  there  are  numerous  mill  by-products  of 
more  or  less  value  as  feed  and  fertilizers,  viz.,  rice  polish,  hulls  and 
hull  ashes,  all  of  which  have  value  in  one  way  or  another. 

If  the  straw  and  hulls  are  returned  to  the  soil  as  manure  more  than 
85  per  cent  of  the  total  mineral  plant  food  of  the  crop  is  restored, 
and  with  the  still  further  result  of  an  improved  physical  condition  of 
the  soil  is  secured. 

SHOULD   FARMERS   GROW   RICE? 

While  the  object  of  this  publication  is  to  encourage  experimental 
planting  of  rice,  yet  it  distinctly  does  not  wish  to  urge  engaging  in 
the  industry  in  a  large  way  until  more  is  learned  concerning  it.  The 
outlook  for  the  industry  is  exceedingly  encouraging,  and  it  is  highly  de- 
sirable that  numerous  small  tracts  should  be  grown,  for  if  the  results  ob- 
tained approximate  at  all  closely  to  those  already  secured  in  the  pre- 
liminary experiments,  the  development  of  a  very  desirable  industry 
is  possible. 

Farmers  are  cautioned,  however,  not  to  rush  precipitately  into  the 
culture  of  rice  on  a  large  scale,  but  to  give  it  a  trial  on  relatively  small 
tracts  where  conditions  seem  to  be  suitable.  Like  all  new  industries 
there  are  still  many  things  to  learn  about  it.  From  all  data  obtain- 
able it  appears  that  California  may  ultimately  be  producing  large 
quantities  of  this  valuable  food  product. 


